A Second Chance
by Rei0013
Summary: So I'm not gonna hide it from you: Reno dies right off the bat in this story. However the interesting part is what happens to him when he's dead... RenoxElena


_I'm back! Sort of a big gap between this and my previous story, I know, but it was the typing giving me trouble more than anything. Just started school again, so I could never find the time to type this up..._

_So here it is, my first Relena. Probably my last. Not entirely sure if I'm a fan of the pairing... And funnily enough there is more Aerith in the story than Elena. lol  
_

_I found it nearly impossible to resist "mostly dead" jokes, but I did persevere. XD Have at it then! ~Rei_

It had been a routine assignment, just like any other. How had things gone so wrong?

"Shit," Reno mumbled, clutching at his bleeding arm and crawling through snow and flaming wreckage towards a blond woman by the name of Elena. "Shit, shit, shit," he repeated. AS he reached her, the red headed man could tell she was unconscious, but the weak rising and falling of her body told him she was still alive. "Thank the Gods," Reno said weakly as he pulled himself over her, trying to keep the blond woman warm.

'The helicopter… how could I have…?' Reno's mind raced as his breath grew heavy and labored. He tried to remember what had gone wrong, but the more he tried to think, the fuzzier his thoughts became. The last clear thoughts to enter his head before his mind was absorbed into nothingness were how sweet the scent of Elena's hair was, and how warm he suddenly felt.

Reno opened his eyes to see nothing but blinding white light. He sat up, realizing he could no longer feel his injuries, and looking down he saw that not only could he not feel them but that they no longer existed. Glancing around, he tried to get a bearing on where he might be.

"You aren't someone I was expecting to see."

Reno turned. Standing behind where he was sitting was a woman in a pink dress with long and braided brown hair tied in a red bow. She smiled gently, and as she did the Turk recognized her as Aerith Gainsborough, the Certa he had been order to capture all that time ago. He frowned.

"This means I'm dead, doesn't it?" Aerith did not respond, but merely gave a Reno a sad look confirming his suspicion. "And Elena? Is she dead too?" To this Aerith shook her head.

"You body kept her warm until you colleagues were able to find her."

Reno breathed a sigh of relief, closing his eyes.

"At least I can be thankful for that, huh?"

Aerith sat beside him, and studied his face for a moment. There was not much that had changed about his appearance since she had seen him last. He was still as untidy as ever, his uniform messy and his flaming hair pulled back into the same unkempt rattail. His voice still had the same lazy and sarcastic quality. However, Aerith could tell he had transformed totally. The look in his eyes was different. He was kinder, softer almost. As she continued to reflect on this, Reno's eyes remained closed and his expression was a mixture of sad and reassured. He swallowed, and Aerith spoke to him again.

"You're a different man than you were all those years again," she thought aloud. "You care about her. Elena. When we first met, you cared for no one but yourself." Reno snorted.

"I was a self important ass, you mean," he responded bitterly. "I didn't care about the consequences of my actions. But I've learned…"

He wiped at the tears flooding his eyes suddenly, but they wouldn't stop coming.

"So many have died because of me."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Aerith frowned.

"The Reno I met back then would have said crying was a sign of weakness. You really have changed quite a bit. That's good."

Reno looked up to meet her kind eyes.

"I'm surprised you even remember me," he said.

"What you?" she replied. ""You stepped on my flowers! How could I forget?"

Through his tears Reno laughed, but Aerith could tell there was still something bothering him. She gave him yet another sad smile.

"You want to see her, don't you," she said. It wasn't a question, but rather a statement. And yet, Reno still nodded solemnly in response. Aerith made a waving motion at the space before her, and what almost appeared to be a window of sorts materialized before them. Reno could see Elena now, her head and her hands both carried bandages, but over all she seemed to be okay. However, she was crying over what Reno realized with a jolt was his own body. A cold lump formed in his throat, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to swallow it.

She wasn't alone however. Reno could just make out that there was a man behind her, but it wasn't until he spoke that Reno recognized the man as his boss Tseng.

"They need to move him Elena," he said. Elena did not move, but continued to sob. Tseng placed his hand on her shoulder. "He's gone. I'm sorry."

Elena turned and fell into Tseng. As he put his arms around her, Reno felt a flash of anger that he couldn't quite explain.

"He saved me," Elena said tearfully. "He cared about me. He loved me and I never…" Dissolving further into tears, Elena could no longer speak.

"I care about you too Elena, don't worry," Tseng said gently, running his fingers through her hair. At this Reno turned his head away. Aerith looked to him, concerned.

"Reno."

"It's okay; he'll take good care of her. He's a good person, Tseng. You know tha—"

"No Reno. I…" she said, cutting him off mid sentence. She took a deep breath before looking Reno straight in the eye. "Do you think you deserve a second chance?"

Reno looked at her, slightly shocked, but even more confused.

"What do you mean?" e asked, trying not to hope too much.

"You haven't actually been gone from your body very long. Your body isn't completely dead yet, in theory I could help you—"

Aerith was cut off when Reno suddenly hugged her, squeezing her tight.

"Please," he said very quietly, closing his eyes. "Please." He did not move a muscle for a very long time. Aerith eventually sighed, closing her eyes as well. The light around them grew brighter, and when she opened her eyes Reno was gone. She smiled.

"Just promise me to make the most of this," she said under her breath.

Reno opened his eyes to pain beyond belief. It felt almost as if there were a large airship on his chest, and the stinging in his hands and feet was unbelievable. However there was only one thought consuming his consciousness, and that was Elena. He strained to reach for her, and eventually his fingers did fin the warmth of her skin.

Elena turned with a start to see the redhead with his eyes open, and attempting to sit up.

"Reno!" she exclaimed, going to his side. She grabbed his hand, squeezing his hand. Reno winced at the pain if brought to his blackened and frostbitten fingers.

"Hey," he said weakly. "When I come back from the dead you're supposed to tell to sit down and not hurt myself, not hurt me your—"

Suddenly the pain seemed to disappear as he felt the touch of Elena's lips first on his forehead, then against his own. She then pulled away and turned back to Tseng.

"Get a doctor," she ordered. "Quickly!"

As Tseng left, Elena looked to Reno with tear filled eyes. She touched his face gently, smiling as tears streamed down her face.

"Elena," Reno said feebly, with a pained smile. "What?"

"You're alive," she responded. "How are you alive?"

"I was given a second chance," he said labouredly. "And it was because I love you."

"I'm glad," said Elena. She kissed him again and then embraced him gently. Looking over her shoulder, Reno could have sworn he saw a drop of water drip from the ceiling.

'I won't waste this chance,' he thought, closing his eyes. 'I promise.' Just as he did close his eyes, he thought perhaps he saw Aerith in the doorway, smiling. Then again, it could have just been his imagination…


End file.
